Feb. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Mukesh Ambani, the billionaire
chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd., said that the U.S.’s
development of shale oil and gas will make the country energy
independent as early as 2018.

“For many decades, we have heard that the U.S. will be
independent of foreign imports of energy,” Ambani, whose
company operates the largest oil refining complex in the world,
said in an interview to be aired today on CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria
GPS” program. “Realistically, I can now tell you that it is my
judgment this will happen in the next five to seven years,”

Ambani said the “fundamental transformation” in the U.S.
energy sector will help drive economic growth this year,
according to a transcript of the interview provided by CNN. He
said he was “more optimistic than most” about the global
economy and that a recovery will begin this year, particularly
in the U.S.

When asked what a military strike on Iran would do to the
price of oil, Ambani, 55, said that there is “enough spare
capacity” in global energy markets to “take care of
eventualities,” according to the transcript.